Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes[1] is a 2024 role-playing video game developed by Rabbit and Bear Studios and published by 505 Games. It was led by Yoshitaka Murayama, creator of Konami's Suikoden series, and has been cited as a spiritual successor.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Developer(s)Rabbit and Bear Studios
Publisher(s)505 Games
Director(s)Osamu Komuta
Producer(s)
  • Junichi Murakami
Designer(s)Junko Kawano
Artist(s)
Writer(s)Yoshitaka Murayama
Composer(s)
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
ReleaseApril 23, 2024
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Development and release

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The development of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was led by Yoshitaka Murayama, the creator of the Suikoden video game series by Konami. Murayama had directed Suikoden and Suikoden II during his time at Konami, but left the company in 2002 shortly before the release of Suikoden III.

The fundraising campaign for the Eiyuden Chronicle project was conducted through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.[2] The campaign exceeded all of the original stretch goals and met its base funding requirements after surpassing $500,000 within 3 to 4 hours on July 27, 2020.[3] It ultimately raised $4,541,481 with 46,307 backers, making it the third highest funded video game in Kickstarter history behind Shenmue III and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.[4]

Hundred Heroes was featured at E3 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and was originally slated to be released worldwide in October 2022 before being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] The game was then set for a 2023 release,[6] but was delayed to 2024.[7] It was later confirmed to release on April 23, during their presentation on the September 2023 Nintendo Direct.[8] A prologue, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, was released for the same platforms in May 2022.

Reception

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Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes received "generally favorable reviews" on Windows, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[9][10][11]

Game Informer awarded it an 8/10, saying "archaic structures makes those first impressions tough to look past, but a creative battle system, extensive party customization, and top-notch writing make up for the retro jank." Game Informer however criticized the gameplay for being outdated at certain points, such as having an empty open world and some tedious dungeons to go through. [12]

Godisageek praised the game, saying that "Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a truly memorable experience that absolutely will stick with you when it's over."[13] Gameskinny said the game is "an Experience That Revitalizes JRPGs."[14] IGN Japan gave the game a 90/100, claiming that "everything that makes Eiyuden Chronicle great is introduced in the first part of the game. From the 120 heroes that you can recruit to the epic one-vs-one duels, its game systems always make you feel the heat of the story."[15]

On a more mixed review, PCGamesN said that "whether or not you're a fan of Suikoden II, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is just about worth your time. Unfortunately, almost every high point in Nowa's adventure is met with a painful low, making for a disjointed experience bursting with forgettable minigames and characters."[16]

References

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  1. ^ Japanese: 百英雄伝
  2. ^ Fuller, Alex (July 27, 2020). "Eiyuden Chronicle Kickstarter Now Live". RPGamer. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  3. ^ Webster, Andrew (July 27, 2020). "Suikoden follow-up Eiyuden Chronicle successfully funded on Kickstarter". The Verge. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  4. ^ Batchelor, James (December 23, 2020). "Suikoden successor Eiyuden Chronicle was top video games Kickstarter of 2020". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  5. ^ Radcliff, Ryan (11 February 2021). "505 Games to Publish Eiyuden Chronicle". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 2021-03-06. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  6. ^ Moore, Bo (13 June 2021). "Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Delayed to 2023, New Spinoff Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
  7. ^ Romano, Sal (July 28, 2023). "Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes delayed to Q2 2024". Gematsu. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  8. ^ Hagues, Alana (September 14, 2023). "Suikoden Creator's New JRPG, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, Out April 2024". Nintendo Life. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  12. ^ Broadwell, Josh (April 23, 2024). "Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Review - An Old Star Rises". Game Informer. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024.
  13. ^ "Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes review". April 21, 2024.
  14. ^ Smith, Abby (April 21, 2024). "Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Review — An Experience That Revitalizes JRPGs". Gameskinny.
  15. ^ Mabuchi, Hiroaki (April 21, 2024). "『百英雄伝』レビュー! 愛情たっぷりに作り込まれた傑作だが、仲間との出会いがゲームバランスを左右する" [Review of 'Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes'! A masterpiece made with love, but meeting friends affects the game balance]. IGN Japan.
  16. ^ Bell, Lowell (April 21, 2024). "Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes review – an overstuffed JRPG". PCGamesN.
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